NEGR Station Page

• Coordinates: -30.31699, -69.75547, ~13,200 ft
• Start Date: Installed on 12/4/00 by Dean Childs, Patricia Alvarado et al.
• End Date: Pulled out by Susan Beck, Lara Wagner, Patricia Alvarado et al. on 05/02/2002.
• Instrumentation: sensor: T3176 (CMG3 ESP), DAS: 1049
• Directions: Head west from Las Flores towards Paso Agua Negra 4779 m. Stop at Gendarmia Station at 2000m to inform personnel. If needed you can most likely stay at the station overnite as the personnel are very hospitable. May prepare for possible altitude sickness by taking aspirin and abstaining from alcohol (if you are a wuss). Note also that trout fishing is very good in stream 50 m from station. Climb to 4000 m elevation (13500 feet) where you will first see the sign for El Arenal (the sands), which is a small basin filled with sand and gravel by a braided stream. Continue on to the top of the sand and gravel fill (approx 28 km from Gendarmeria?) where you will find the El Arenal sign which faces towards east bound travelers. Park 25 m down valley of this sign. Station is approximately 50 meters directly uphill on the south side of the road. You may follow the 4wd tire tracks on foot up the hill if no snow is present.
• Miscellaneous: On east facing slope of valley, upper slope alluvial apron with massive glacially polished rock 10m to the north. No significant water flow in basin below though almost all of the snow has melted away. No snow at station site. We were unable to fit the lid on the sensor vault so we covered in plastic, then plywood then styrafoam 1.5 =93 then more plastic then 4-5=94 of dirt and rock. No lock on sensor vault. Das and disk are located 7 feet due magnetic north of solar panel pole for those that may have to dig site out of the snow. GPS is mounted on top of 3m solar panel pole which is guyed with 6 steel cables. 1.8 m and 2.5m clearance between ground and bottom of first and second solar panels respectively. Panels inclined 60 degrees down from the horizontal to provide maximum exposure during winter solstice. No evidence of domestic animals, nothing to eat. Hail protectors not installed. Sensor oriented to magnetic north. All cables housed in 63 mm PVC.
  Difficult breathing for us San Juaninos. I had to lubricate the 3mm wrench used to unlock the sensor in order to extract the wrench which binds along the side of the CMG 3ESP sensor case while in the unlocked position.
  It is recommended that at least one 5m snow pole be tied to the solar panel mast in case of high snow fall which may cover the solar panels and make very difficult the location of the station. Bring one more sheet of insulation for DAS and battery vaults. Mount sign somewhere on station explaining what it is for and who operates it for those that are curious, though I suspect very few onlookers at this site.

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